When the Supernovas needed a kill, Reagan Cooper wanted the ball.
The Omaha outside hitter delivered in the clutch as eight of her 15 kills came in the final 10 rallies of each set, including the final point of the match.
Cooper helped power Omaha to a 21-25, 25-20, 26-24, 23-25, 15-9 victory over last-place Columbus in front of 9,517 fans Friday night at the CHI Health Center.
After fueling Supernovas’ rally in the second and third sets, Cooper continued to call for sets late in the fifth set and made sure everyone knew she wanted to swing away in the crucial moments. Omaha coach Laura “Bird” Kuhn said Cooper can sometimes be quiet, but she made sure setter Natalia Valentin-Anderson knew she wanted the ball.
“I heard her yelling for the ball in transition, and we have to get on them about that,” she said. “She was like, ‘Set me again. Set me again.’ She wanted the ball today. That was awesome.”
Each of the first three sets all featured 4-0 runs to end them. Janice Leao led the charge for the Fury in the first set with three kills and five blocks in the set. She finished with six kills and a team-record eight blocks.
After Columbus won the first set, Cooper knew she needed to change up her attack. The 6-foot-2 outside hitter won the PVF Rookie of the Year award as a member of the Fury last season. Cooper said the Columbus coaching staff knows her tendencies, so she went away from a sharp cross attack and swung higher.
The Supernovas (18-7) struggled to string points in the second set, and the Fury led for most of the set. Omaha went to its bench to turn the momentum as Allison Whitten entered at libero to stabilize the defense. Then, Phoebe Awoleye checked in and recorded a kill on her first rally.
With Omaha down 19-17, Cooper came alive with three kills and a block during an 8-1 run. Toyosi Onabanjo, who also had just entered the match, capped off the scoring streak with a pair of kills.
Kuhn said their week of training made her comfortable going to the bench to find the right combination. They hadn’t played with a set lineup in practice, but went back to the regulars to start, and knew the bench would play a significant role in the match.
“We were going to make changes fast if we needed to because we need sparks,” she said. “Those people that we went to first were the sparks. (Whitten) played awesome all week. Both middles have been just exactly what you guys saw. Those were the first ones that we wanted to make those changes with to be sparks tonight.”
Before Friday’s match, Whitten had primarily been used as a serving specialist. She entered the match with just seven digs, but finished with 12 against Columbus. Whitten also had a good passing rate of 60 percent on 20 serve receptions.
“She was solid, just like she had trained all week. So we’ll keep riding with it,” Kuhn said.
Omaha Supernovas Toyosi Onabanjo, right, celebrates a kill against the Columbus Fury. Onabanjo tallied seven kills and a block. Photo by John S. Peterson.
Columbus (8-17) took its first lead of the third set at 19-18 and eventually went up 24-22. However, Cooper and Awoleye sparked another rally. Cooper recorded three kills and Awoleye added another, as the Supernovas fended off two set points before claiming the set.
Awoleye appeared in just her ninth match of the season and finished with nine kills at a .467 hitting percentage. Meanwhile, Onabanjo put up seven kills with a .462 hitting percentage. She entered the match with just four kills on the season and seven total sets played.
Awoleye said she has learned a lot this year and tries to make the most of her opportunities whenever she gets on the court. Even when she’s not on the court, the undrafted rookie from Minnesota makes her presence felt and often leads the bench players in dances during breaks in the action.
“Whenever I get the chance to go in, I’m just excited to play with them. They’re so fun to play with,” she said. “I’m just over there playing volleyball with the girls, and there just happens to be thousands of people watching.”
Omaha also received a boost from Lindsay Krause from the service line. After she badly missed a serve into the net during the second set, Krause rebounded and served the final three points of the third.
“They do this stuff every day and so (we have a) core belief in everybody that when you’re called upon, you’re going to do your job and you’re going to execute,” Kuhn said.
Columbus took charge in the fourth set by jumping out to a 6-2 lead. The Supernovas chipped away and appeared to tie it up at 19-all briefly before a challenge overturned an Omaha point. The Fury built a 22-18 rally before the Supernovas rallied. They again fought off two set points, but Columbus closed it out to force a fifth set.
The Supernovas rode the energy of the crowd to take control of the fifth with a 5-2 lead. While the newcomers helped finish the second and third sets, regular starters Brooke Nuneviller and Kelsie Payne provided steady contributions all night. Nuneviller recorded three kills in the final set and finished with 18 kills and 18 digs. Payne accounted for two kills and a block. The 6-foot-3 opposite finished with 13 kills, two blocks and 12 digs. Valentin-Anderson led Omaha with 52 assists as well as 14 digs.
Kaylee Cox led Columbus with 16 kills while Morgan Lewis added 15 kills and three blocks. Beta Dumancic finished with six kills on six swings.
Omaha Supernovas Phoebe Awoleye spikes the ball against the Columbus Fury. She finished with nine kills in the match. Photo by John S. Peterson.
Match point came after 2 hours and 41 minutes of action, which ended just before 11 p.m. Cooper said she was playing for the fans who helped provide energy late in the game.
“I was only feeding off the crowd, to be honest, because it’s late, we had five sets, and I was just exhausted,” she said. “That’s why I was just swinging as hard as I could. Because at that point, both teams are tired, and it’s whoever can be more aggressive and who can stick it out.”
The match was the second one of the evening as Creighton and Omaha played three sets in an 80-minute exhibition. Kuhn said when they saw the start time set for 8 p.m., the Supernovas reached out to the local Division I programs to see if a doubleheader was possible.
Before the second match, all three Omaha-based teams took a picture on the court together.
“It’s awesome for our sport,” she said. “It’s so cool, and it’s our last home weekend. I know it was a lot for these fans to stay this late, this long, but it’s a testament to them, and that’s why this place is so special.”
